Linearize PDF
Rewrite a PDF for Fast Web View, so that its first page can be shown before the whole file has arrived from a web server.
About This Tool
Linearize PDF rearranges a PDF so that a reader fetching it from a web server can show the first page before the whole file has arrived. This is also called Fast Web View.
It helps only when a file is loaded piece by piece from a web server; a file already on your device, or sent as an attachment, opens no faster. Up to 10 files can be added at a time: one comes back as a PDF, several as a ZIP archive, and a file that cannot be linearized is named on the page and left out of the archive. A password-protected file is opened with its password when you add it, and its linearized copy is not protected.
All processing happens in your browser, ensuring your documents remain private.
How to Use
Upload Your PDF
Drag and drop your PDF file or click to select.
Linearize
Click "Linearize PDF" and wait while the file is rewritten. Leave "Use object streams for better compression" ticked for a smaller file, or untick it for readers older than PDF 1.5.
Download
Download the result: a PDF for one file, a ZIP archive for several. The page shows how many pages were written and the size before and after.
Use Cases
Web Publishing
Optimize PDFs for website downloads.
Links Sent by Email
Linearize a PDF you host before you send people a link to it. A file attached to the message itself is downloaded whole either way.
Online Documents
Improve viewing experience for online documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is linearization?
Linearization reorganizes PDF data for progressive loading.
Does it reduce file size?
No, that is not what it is for. The file is rewritten with extra tables at the front and may come out larger; both sizes are shown when it finishes. With "Use object streams for better compression" ticked the result is smaller than without it.
Is it compatible with all viewers?
A linearized PDF opens in every PDF reader. Written with "Use object streams for better compression" it needs a reader that knows PDF 1.5 (2003), as the readers in use today do; untick the box for anything older.